Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-04-27

every IutilllCdl OIlt OI llleDn pdptIS. DN
good luck. the package hadn't even
been united. But there wasn't nothin'
there but printers ink. But the rags
o, Hosea, L wouldn't know the man
with the string of bells and the rag
wagon from Job! And where he went
and where he came from, the good
Lord only knows.''
81 reckon You'll find that house.
lcleanin' came pretty expensive" said
Mr.. Martin, dryly.
All search proved unayailing. Moth
ing could be discovered of grandma s
money, no scrap of paper to afford a
clew, no hidden hoard, not even a
word Of allusion to it in the old lady's
neatly kept memorandum book. And
to Matilda'S exquisite modification,
Mr.. Rufus Burton, after a decent period
of time had elapsed, delicately gave
her to understand that he didn't feel
able TO marry at present, and that,
sooner than bind her by the trammels
of long engagement, he considered it
better to release her from her troth.
"JuSt as you please" said Matty
Martin, with true New England spirit.
All the tears she shed were wept in Sc
cret, to the great disappointment of the
nelghborhOod, who were looking out
with some interest 10 see eff Matilda
Martin would pine any, now that Rufe
Burton had mittened her.''
But she didn't. Instead of that she
married Alva Dean, who had always
loved her from child.
81 amt co lege-learned like Rufe
Burton" said he; ''but l love you,
Matty, and I'll be a good and true hus-
band TO you, see if | ain't''
The newly-wedded couple came to
live with the Martins at the old home
stead, for Hosea was getting old and
rheumatic, and Mrs. Martin could not
bear the idea of parting from her only
daughter. Time crept by, Hosea Mar
tin and his wife grew to be white-haired
old people, and Alva Dean had pros
pered on the farm, and built a new
barn up on the hill, when one day he
said To his cherry-cheeked wife:
"Didn't there use to be an old well
up somewhere near the big .butternut
tree. Matty, at the south side of the
barn?''
''Of course" " nodded Matty. "But
the curb rotted away, and mother
thought it unsafe. So, after the new
well by the house was dug, they filled it
up"
I've notion to open it again, said
Alva. 1.-The water would be dreadful
handy, now that we keep all the cattle
there"
But" said Matty, 81 seem to recol-
hat 4 of ha
was dug"
Il guess we can strike water if we go
deep enough, " said Alya. Anyhow,
mean to try"
The old well was although
Alva Dean remarked, with a grean,
that all the old trash in creation seemed
to have been poked away there.
Bottles said be, land broken
nosed pitchers, and TIN cans. half-rusted |
away. and cobble-stones, and goodness
knows what all. Enough TO set up
junk shop with. +"
''Ah' said Matty with smile.
mother filled it up the same spring
that she sold grandmother's money to
the rag peddler, that never came around
again, at cent and half a pound"
mo use cryin' after split milk, my
girl. said Alva, bravely.
''But I'm not crying" said Matilda,
I'm laughing. Don't you see!"
just then in came little BeSs, the
Youngest, golden-haired darling of the
flock.
so mamma she cried, "look at the
lovely old cracked stone jug that came
out of the old well. Mayn't me and
Fanny have it to fix liquOrice-water in?
Look, The cork is sticking tight i'll it
yet.''
But it's cracked down the side,
dear" demonstrated Mrs. Dean.
But we can putty it, mamma, like
Mrs. Dutcher's best china bowl. Please,
mamma, may be?' urged the mite.
Mrs. Dean took it up and looked Gu
riously at it-an old, high-shouldered
jug of drab, with sprawling pattern OF
blue dashed down the side.
Il remember it well, y said she. ''Il
used to stand behind Grandma Martins
buttery shelf. | used to fancy the pat
tern was like blue crab. And We
so mammal cried BeSs, with
shrek; SO mammal
For the handle had slipped through
Mrs. Deans fingers, and the jug fell
with a crash to the ground. But the
stoneware was strong, and it separated
in two pieces, following the line of the
crack.
''It's stuffed full of funny bits of
brown paper" cried Bess.
Mrs Dean gave little scream and
grew pale.
''Grandmother's money!" she cried,
''As true as you live and breathe,
mother to Mrs. Martin, who had
come limping in upon her crutch, sits
grandmother's money, put there ten
good years ago!'
1t was true. The stone jug, lying al
most at the top of the other debris, had
kept its treasure dry and safe; and here,
ten years after the old lady was dead
and entombed, her secret hoard-always
intended for Matilda-had come to
light.
A thousand dollars. Not great
sum, perhaps, but wealth to these prim-
tive people. And Rufus Burton, who
had married a pretty shrew and had
Just failed in the grocery business,
groaned over "what might have been,"
and Alva Dean kissed his wife, and
blessed God in his heart; and Farmer
Martin chuckled at his ancient help
meet, and remarked, with something OF
his old waggishness:
"That house-cleanin' of yours like to
have cost We a thousand dollars, HettyF'
While Matilda said, softly:
"Heaven bless the dear old grand
mother"
A Poor SHOT AT KIssEs.-First
Girl: "ISn't that Mr.. De Sweete hor-
rid. He ha1n't any business to kiss